Rotary drum depository



April 10, 1951 H. c. BEHRENS ROTARY DRUM DEPOSITORY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, L949 24 sea 62 17 INVENTOR. Her'bem C Bekrens April 10, 1951 H. c. BEHRENS ROTARY DRUM DEPOSITORY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1949 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 10, 1951 ROTARYDRUM DEPOSITORY Herbert G. Behrens, Canton, Ohio, assignor to Diebold, Incorporated, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 6, 1949, Serial No. 91,831

8 Claims. 1

The invention relates generally to depositories used by banks to permit making deposits after business hours, and more particularly to a night depository having a rotating cylinder or drum. so constructed as to receive-deposits and prevent unauthorized access to deposits after the'depository has been closed, following the making of a deposit by an authorized person.

Conventional d'epositories of this type have been burglarized in various ways by clever and ingenious thieves, who in some cases have used strips of very thin. sheet metal, known as shim stock, and fine wires to work around the drum and fish a deposit bag out of the vault of-th'e depository, or to pull out'a bag trapped in the chute leading to the vault. Such ways of burglarizing have been partially guarded against by providing gravity or spring-operated doors or flaps designed to close 01f any through passageways, but such devices usually have been costly and are frequently unsatisfactory or inadequate for a'number of reasons.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved depository of the rotating drum type, which is economical: to manufacture and practically theft-proof.

Another and more specific object is to. provide an improved rotating drum depository having an outer door, in which the drum is moved automatically to a receiving position when the door is opened.

Another object is to provide an improved rotating drum depository in which the drum is moved automatically to closed position by the closing movement of the door.

A further object is to provide an improved rotating drum depository in which the drum is automatically rotated from open to closed position by manually moving the outer door across and in the plane of the door opening.

A still further object is to provide an improved rotating drum depository having novel. coo-perating means on the drum and the housing in which it rotates for preventing theft. v

These andother objects are accomplished by the parts, the improvements, combinations, subcombinations and arrangements comprising the present invention, which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following specification, the invention being particularly defined in the appended claims.

In general terms, the present invention may be described as comprising a night depository having a housing-mounted in a building wall adjacent the head-of a chute extend-ing downwardto to a deposit vault, the housing being con-,- nected to a door frame defining an opening through the exterior of the wall with a'door slidably rotatable in the plane of the door opening for closing the same; and a rotating drum having a side receiving pocket registering selectively in open and closed: position with the door opening and the chute, there being gear meansoperatively connecting the rotating door with the rotating drum so that the drum is moved automatically from open and closed position as ;th door is manually opened.- and closed.

Referring to the drawings forming part hereof, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention. is shown by way of example:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved depository mounted in a wall, withparts-broken away and in section, showing the door partly closed;

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view, as on line 2-2, Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing: the drum and door in open position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the drum and door in closed position;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, showing the door in closed position;- and Fig. 6' is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as on line 6-6 Fig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. I

.The improveddepository is shown positioned in a usual manner in an opening II] provided. in a masonry building wall indicated generally at IL The depository includes a preferably circular door frame having a face plate I2 which overlaps thewall opening I0,the outer periphery'of the plate being beveled at I3, and terminating in an outer rim flange I 4 whichbears on the outer surface of the wall. I I,

A mounting ring I5 is secured; to the inside of the face plate I2 and positioned within the wall opening II], the ring being preferably secured to the face plate by means of screws I6 passingradially through thickened portions of the flange I4 and threaded into the outer periphery of the ring I5. The ring I5 has a recessed portion on its front surface, as indicated at I I, for-a purpose to be described. A substantially semi-circular housing plate I8 is mounted within the lower part of the ring I5, and provides a closure for the lower half of the opening formed within the "ring.

The upper edge portion of the housing plate I8 has mounted therein, midway of its sides, a

mounting block I9 in which a piovt pin is secured, the block I 9 being secured to the plate |8 by socket head set screws 2|. The upper surface of the block is beveled as indicated at H), as is the adjacent edge of plate I8. The outer end of the pin 20 is journaled by means of antifriction bearings 22 in a bearing boss 23 formed on the inner side of a door 24 which is rotatable within the face plate l2 and substantially in the plane of the plate I2. Thus the door is rotatable in the plane of the door frame about an axis perpendicular to said plane.

The door 24 has a substantially semi-circular opening 25 formed in its upper portion for registering with the opening formed between the upper edge of the housing plate I8 and the inner periphery of the ring l5. Preferably the upper edge of the door opening is beveled as indicated at 26 and registers in open position with the front edge of a transversely curved throat member 21 which is secured within the door opening and extends rearwardly to merge with a cylindrical upper housing portion 28 around the rotating drum. The housing member I8 has a rearwardly extending flange l8 which merges with a cylindrical housing portion 29 which forms the lower part of the drum housing.

The rotatable door 24 preferably has an outer ball-shaped handle 30 which may be secured by abolt 3| to the face of the door at the outer periphery of the door adjacent the central portion of the door opening 25, and this ball handle 30 is arranged to be at the top of the door when it is fully open as in Fig. 3 and at the bottom of the door when it is fully closed as in Fig. 4. Preferably the door 24 is arranged to be rotated in a clockwise direction through 180 by grasping handle 30 and moving the door from closed to open position, and the rotation is reversed for moving the door from open to closed position, as will be more fully explained.

The upper housing portion 28 extends rearwardly and downwardly from the throat 21 and forms the upper part of the cylindrical drum. The upper and lower housing portions 28 and 29 terminate in a rectangular tubular chute attaching portion 33 which is preferably attached as by screws 35 to the upper end or head of a discharge chute 36 extending downwardly into a suitable deposit vault. The substantially cylindrical housing formed by the portions 28 and 29 is provided with substantially circular side closure plates 31 secured to the edges of the housing portions and chute portion 33 by screws 38 at intervals around the cylindrical housing.

The rotating drum 4|! is in the form of a cylinder which is rotatable within the housing with .a very close working clearance, and the drum has end walls 4| spaced slightly inwardly of the end plates 31 of the housing, and connected together by the cylindrical wall 42 of the drum. Parallel partition walls 43 form a pocket or receptacle P within the drum for deposits, and one side of the pocket P opens out through the side of the drum and is arranged selectively to register with the door opening 25 in the open position as in Fig. 3, and with the head of the chute in the closed position as in Fig. 4. The top and bottom The drum is journaled for axial rotation in a pair of attaching bars 45, one alongside of each housing end plate 31. The attaching bars 45 are secured at their ends to the drum housing by cap screws 46 which are screwed into bosses 41 and 48 formed on the housing portions 28 and 29 respectively. At their central portions, the attaching bars are provided with openings 49 through which extend axial bosses 50 formed on the drum end walls 4| and in which the journal pins 5| and 52 are secured. Bearing blocks 53 are secured as by welding, one to each bar 45 around the central opening 49 thereof, and the blocks 53 mount bearing bushings 54 in which the pins 5| and 52 are journaled. Thus the drum 40 is journaled for axial rotation on the attaching bars 45 which are secured to the drum housmg.

The journal pin 52 is extended axially outward from the drum, and a worm gear 55 is secured on its outer end. The means for operatively connecting the rotatable door 24 to the rotating drum, for automatically rotating the drum as the door is opened and closed, preferably includes a drive shaft 56 located at one side of the drum housing. The rear end of the drive shaft preferably has a worm 51 secured thereon for meshing with the worm gear 55, and the intermediate portion of the shaft 56 is journaled in a bearing bracket 58 attached to the adjacent bar 45 by bolts 59. The front end portion of the shaft 55 is journaled in a bearing bushing 60 mounted in a bearing block 6| which is carried on the recessed portion l1 of the door frame ring |5. The front projecting end of the shaft 56 has a pinion 62 secured thereon, and the pinion meshes with and is driven by a ring gear 63 which is welded (iii to the rear outer edge of the door 24 and extends into the annular groove formed by the recessed portion l1.

Thus as the door 24 is rotated manually in the plane of the door opening by grasping the handle 36 and turning it about the pin 20 as an axis, the ring gear will drive the pinion 62 which causes the worm 51 to rotate the worm gear 55 and with it the drum 40. The gear ratio between the ring gear and pinion and the worm and worm gear is so calculated that as the door handle 36 is moved through the drum will rotate between open and closed position, that is, the open side of the pocket P in the drum will move from registry with the door opening 25 to registry with the chute portion 33 as the door is moved from open to closed position. 7

Preferably, the ring gear 63 is provided with suitable stops 180 apart for engaging the pinion 62. at the ends of the closing and opening movement of the drum so as to stop the pocket P in registry with the door opening and chute respectively. If desired, the ring gear 63 may be made in the form of a semi-circular gear segment with stops at each end to accomplish the same purpose.

As the door 24 is rotated manually in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, from open to closed position, the drum rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 from open posi tion to the closed position of Fig. 4. To open the door, it is rotated in a clockwise direction and the drum rotates counterclockwise.

Means for locking the depository, in closed position as shown in Fig. 4, may include aconventional cylinder type lock indicated at 65 which operates a laterally sliding bolt 66 to engage the same in a socket in the outer periphery of the 5, door 24', the socket registering with the bolt when the door is fully closed. A suitable sheet metal protective covering 61" may be provided over the journal pin 51-, anda similar protective covering 68 maybe provided over the drive shaft 56 and worm gearing connected thereto, as ind-icatedin Fig. 2.

In order to prevent any possibilityof an unauthorized person inserting thin metal strips, such as shim stock, around thedrum and within the drum housing in an effort to fish with fine-wires for deposit bags in the chute or depositvault, guarding recesses 1-0 are provided-in the upper cylindrical housing 28, and a similar recess ll provided in the lower housing 2 9. These recesses extend tangentially outward from the innor cylindrical surface of the drum housing, so thatii a thin metal strip is inserted through the door opening and between the drum and drumhousing, it will naturaiI-y follow into the recessand be curled up and stopped there rather than to follow on around the drum.

A further theft-preventing means is'provided asbest indicated in Fig. 6, and includes a'plate 13 attached to the flange 33" by screwsM at the intersectionof the flange 33 with the cyl ind ricai housing portion 28. The'piate 13 projects slightly inward radially of the housing po-r'tion- Z8 and is provided with a serrated edge 15 which mates with a serrated outer surface'lt on the drum wall 42. Theserrated outer surface 16 extends from a point just below the plate l3 when the drum is open position as in Fig. 3' up around the upper part of the drum surface to the edge of the pocket P, thus providing a series of ribs on the outer surface of the drum which register with the serrations 15 as the drum rotates. Thus in anypos'ition of the drum in-"which the pocket P is at least partially open, if it should be possible for an unauthorized person to force a thin metal strip past the guard recesses ill, the end of the strip would be blocked by the serrated plate 13 from gaining access into the upper end of the chute.

The fact that the door 24 slides or rotates in the plane of the outer door frame while the drum is rotating about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the door makes it increasingly diiiicult for an unauthorized person to burglarize the depository. Unauthorized access is further complicated by the rearwardly extending transversely curved throat portion 21 which extends from the door opening 25rearwardly to the drum housing proper, and which covers substantially all of the intersection between the drum and the upper housing part 28.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction. 7

Having now described the invention, the construction, the operation and use of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

, 6 Icl'ai-m:

'1. A nigh-tadepository including .a door frame forming a door opening, a door rotatable in the plane of the door-frame about an axis perpen dicular thereto for closing said door opening, a cylinder journaled behind the door frame for rotation about a horizontal axis-perpendicular to the axis of rotation of saiddoor, said cylinder having" a receiving opening in one side adapted toregister with said door opening in open position of the cylinder and to dump the contents of th cylinder within the depository when the cylinder is in closedpos-ition, and means operatively connecting said door to said cylinder for moving the cylinder to its open and closed position respectively as the door is manually moved to open and closedposition.

2. A night depository including a door frame forminga door opening, a door rotatable in the plane of the door frame about an axis perpendicular thereto for closing said door opening, a chute having its upper end positioned behind saiddoor frame; a cylinder positioned between said door frame and chute for rotation about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said door, said cylinderhaving a receiving opening in one side for registering selectively with said door frame opening in open position of the cylinder and the'upper end of said chute in closed position of the cylinder, and means operative'ly connecting said door and cylinder for movingthe cylinder to openand closed position respectively as the door is manually opened and closed.

3 A night depository including a door frame forming a door opening, a door rotatable in the plane of the door frame about an axis perpendicular thereto for closing said door opening, a handle secured on said door and. spaced radially of said axis, a cylinder journaled behind the door frame for rotation about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said door, said cylinder having a receiving opening in one side adapted to register with said door opening in open position of the cylinder and to dump the contents of the cylinder within the depository when the cylinder is in closed position, gear means operatively connecting said door to said cylinder for moving the cylinder to its open and closed position respectively as the door is manually moved to open and closed position, and means for locking said door in closed position.

4. A night depository including a door frame forming a door opening, a door rotatable in the plane of the door frame about an axis perpendicular thereto for closing said door opening, a handle secured on said door and spaced radially of said axis, a chute having its upper end positioned behind said door frame, a cylinder positioned between said door frame and chute for rotation about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said door, said cylinder having a receiving opening in one side for registering selectively with said door frame opening in the open position of the cylinder and the upper end of said chute in closed position of the cylinder, gear means operatively connecting said door and cylinder for moving the cylinder to open and closed position respectively as the door is manually opened and closed, and means for locking said door in closed position.

5. A night depository including a door frame forming a door opening, a door rotatable in the plane of the door frame about an axis perpendicular thereto for closing said door opening,

a cylinder journaled behind the door frame for rotation about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said door, said cylinder having a receiving opening in one side adapted to register with said door opening in open position of the cylinder and to dump the contents of the cylinder within the depository when the cylinder is in closed position, a drive shaft mounted on said door frame and having a pinion, a ring gear on said door meshing with said pinion, and gear means operatively connecting said drive shaft to said cylinder for moving the cylinder to its open and closed position as the door is manually moved to open and closed position.

6. A night depository including a door frame forming a door opening, a door rotatable in the plane of the door frame about an axis perpendicular thereto for closing said door opening, a chute having its upper end positioned behind said door frame, a cylinder positioned between said door frame and chute for rotation about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said door, said cylinder having a receiving opening in one side for registering selectively with said door frame opening in open position of the cylinder and the upper end of said chute in closed position of the cylinder, a drive shaft mounted on said door frame and having a pinion, a ring gear on said door meshing with said pinion, and gear means operatively connecting said drive shaft to said cylinder for moving the cylinder to its open and closed position as the door is manually moved to open and closed position.

- 7. In a depository having a door frame forming a door opening and a cylinder J'ournaled behind said door frame for rotation about a horizontal transverse axis parallel with said frame,

said cylinder having a receiving opening adapted to register with said door opening in open position of the cylinder and to dump the cylinder contents Within the depository when the cylinder is in closed position, a door pivoted on said door frame for rotation in the plane of said frame about an axis perpendicular thereto, a peripheral gear on said door, and means operatively connecting said gear to said cylinder for moving the cylinder to open and closed position respectively as the door is manually opened and closed.

8. In a depository having a door frame forming a door opening and a cylinder journaled behind said door frame for rotation about a horizontal transverse axis parallel with said frame, said cylinder having a receiving opening adapted to register with said door opening in open position of the cylinder and to dump the cylinder contents within the depository when the cylinder is in closed position, a door pivoted on said door frame for rotation in the plane of said frame about an axis perpendicular thereto, a peripheral gear on said door, a drive shaft having a pinion thereon meshing with said peripheral ear, and worm gear means operatively connecting said drive shaft and cylinder for moving the cylinder to open and closed position as the door is manually opened and closed.

HERBERT C. BEHRENS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Johnston July 22, 1930' 

